Tuesday, 23 Jul 2019

Written Answers Nos. 1305-1329

Nursing Staff Data

Ceisteanna (1305)

John Brady

Ceist:

1305. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of nurses based in Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway by the specialties they cover. [32537/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.

Nursing Staff Data

Ceisteanna (1306)

John Brady

Ceist:

1306. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of midwives based in Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32538/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As this is a service issue, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly.

Nursing Staff Data

Ceisteanna (1307)

John Brady

Ceist:

1307. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of suicide crisis assessment nurses based in Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32539/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.

Emergency Services Data

Ceisteanna (1308)

John Brady

Ceist:

1308. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of emergency department attendances in 2018 and to date in 2019 at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32540/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

This is a very busy period for our health services, with many hospitals reporting significant numbers of patient attendances. For the first six months of 2019, the number of patients attending hospital EDs increased by 3.6%, and the number of ED admissions increased by 2.5% compared to the same period last year.

Despite the significant increase in demand, our health services managed better for the first six months of 2019 than in the previous year, and the numbers of patients waiting on trolleys nationally were 4.7% lower than the same period last year.

With regard to the Deputy's specific question, I have asked the HSE to respond directly with the requested information.

Hospital Beds Data

Ceisteanna (1309)

John Brady

Ceist:

1309. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of inpatient beds at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32541/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

According to provisional data received from the HSE, there were 168 inpatient beds available at Portiuncula University Hospital in 2018, and 168 inpatient beds available at Portiuncula University Hospital from January to the end of April 2019.

As set out in the Sláintecare Action Plan 2019, my Department is committed to fostering the support of citizens and stakeholders in the Sláintecare reform process, consulting them about its delivery, and informing them about progress through engagement and open reporting. In line with this commitment to open reporting, an Open Beds Report is published on the Department’s website each month. This report sets out the number of inpatient beds and day case beds/places available in each acute hospital.

Hospitals Data

Ceisteanna (1310)

John Brady

Ceist:

1310. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of patients on hospital trolleys in 2018 and to date in 2019 at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32542/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

This is a very busy period for our health services, with many hospitals reporting significant numbers of patient attendances. For the first six months of 2019, the number of patients attending hospital EDs increased by 3.6%, and the number of ED admissions increased by 2.5% compared to the same period last year.

Despite the significant increase in demand, our health services managed better for the first six months of 2019 than in the previous year, and the numbers of patients waiting on trolleys nationally were 4.7% lower than the same period last year.

With regard to the Deputy's specific question, I have asked the HSE to respond directly with the requested information.

Hospital Procedures

Ceisteanna (1311, 1326, 1327, 1328, 1338)

John Brady

Ceist:

1311. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of outpatient hospital cancellations at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32543/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1326. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of procedures cancelled and subsequently rescheduled for Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019. [32558/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1327. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of patients who had their appointment cancelled on more than one occasion for Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019. [32559/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1328. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of procedures cancelled in circumstances in which a patient did not attend Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019. [32560/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1338. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of X-rays cancelled at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in each of the years 2010 to 2018 and to date in 2019. [32570/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1311, 1326 to 1328, inclusive and 1338 together.

Maintaining scheduled care access for all patients is a key priority for hospitals. I fully acknowledge the distress and inconvenience for patients and their families when elective procedures are cancelled, particularly for clinically urgent procedures.

While every effort is made to avoid cancellation or postponement of planned procedures, the HSE advise that planned procedures and operations can be postponed or cancelled for a variety of reasons including capacity issues due to increased scheduled and unscheduled care demand, medical reasons, and patient choice.

In relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.

Health Services Staff Data

Ceisteanna (1312)

John Brady

Ceist:

1312. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the spending on agency staff at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32544/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.

Hospital Transfers

Ceisteanna (1313)

John Brady

Ceist:

1313. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of patients outsourced from Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway to other hospitals in 2018 and to date in 2019, by the speciality concerned and the private facility cases assigned to. [32545/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.

Hospitals Data

Ceisteanna (1314)

John Brady

Ceist:

1314. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the annual operational spend at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32546/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly.

Health Care Infrastructure Provision

Ceisteanna (1315)

John Brady

Ceist:

1315. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the annual capital spend at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32547/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.

Hospital Waiting Lists Data

Ceisteanna (1316, 1317, 1323, 1333, 1336, 1337)

John Brady

Ceist:

1316. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting up to three months for a CT scan at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32548/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1317. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting up to three months for a MRI scan at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32549/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1323. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list at the radiology department at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32555/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1333. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of radiology examinations and procedures carried out at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32565/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1336. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the average waiting times for scans at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32568/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1337. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of X-rays carried out at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in each of the years 2010 to 2018 and to date in 2019. [32569/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1316, 1317, 1323, 1333, 1336 and 1337 together.

Reducing waiting time for patients for hospital operations and procedures is a key priority for Government. Last year saw considerable improvement in the number of patients waiting for procedures. As a result of increased activity and the ongoing collaboration between the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), the number of patients waiting for an Inpatient or Day case procedure fell to 70,204 in December 2018, from a peak of 86,100 in July 2017. This represents a reduction of over 18% in the overall number of patients waiting for a procedure. The number of patients waiting more than 3 months fell by more than 17,700, or 31% in the same period from July 2017 to the end of December 2018.

Budget 2019 announced that the Government had further increased investment in tackling waiting lists, with funding to the NTPF increasing from €55 million in 2018 to €75 million in 2019. The joint Department of Health/HSE/NTPF Scheduled Care Access Plan 2019 was published in March and sets out measures to improve care for patients waiting for scheduled care in 2019 by reducing waiting times for inpatient/day case treatment and outpatient appointments.

The NTPF advise that over recent months they have placed a particular focus on engaging with hospital groups and individual hospitals to identify waiting list proposals. The NTPF welcomes proposals from all acute hospitals for initiatives to improve access for patients on waiting lists.

In relation to the particular queries raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.

Hospital Appointments Delays

Ceisteanna (1318)

John Brady

Ceist:

1318. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting up to three months for an appointment with the ENT clinic at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32550/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In relation to the particular query raised, waiting lists compiled by the National Treatment Purchase Plan indicate that there were no patients waiting on the ENT Outpatient waiting list at  Portiuncula University Hospital in 2018 and to date in 2019.

Hospital Waiting Lists Data

Ceisteanna (1319, 1320, 1321, 1322, 1324, 1325)

John Brady

Ceist:

1319. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting up to three months for occupational therapy at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32551/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1320. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting up to three months for physiotherapy at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32552/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1321. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting up to three months for speech and language therapy at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway in 2018 and to date in 2019. [32553/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1322. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for occupational therapy at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32554/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1324. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for physiotherapy at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32556/19]

John Brady

Ceist:

1325. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for speech and language therapy at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32557/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1319 to 1322, inclusive and 1324 and 1325 together.

Portiuncula University Hospital have advised my Department that there is no acute hospital waiting list for speech and language or occupational therapy outpatient services at the hospital.

Portiuncula have further advised that the waiting times for urgent physiotherapy cases is currently less than 14 days, while the waiting times for non-urgent cases is currently greater than 741 days.

Question No. 1323 answered with Question No. 1316.

Questions Nos. 1324 and 1325 answered with Question No. 1319.

Questions Nos. 1326 to 1328 answered with Question No. 1311.

Hospital Appointments Administration

Ceisteanna (1329)

John Brady

Ceist:

1329. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health if a text alert system to remind patients of their upcoming appointment is in place at Portiuncula University Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway. [32561/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.